Metal step-ladder.



. PATIQNTED JUNE 18, 1907. R.. H. PETTA. I METAL STEP LADDER.

[NVE/VIOR.

APPLIOATIOH FILED JULY 6, 1905.

. WITNESSES: I 2%2?%@ztm J2. BY

iii TTA,

ATTORNEY.

ROBERT H. FETTA, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

METAL STEP-LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907.

Application filed July 6, 1905. Serial No. 268,394.

The primal object of my present invention is to produce a ladderconstructed entirely of metal and formed principally of angleirons orthe like, wherein a maximum ofstrength is obtained with a minimum ofmaterial and mechanical parts.

Another object is to produce a comparatively inexpensive metal ladderwhich will be simple in construction and operation, easily folded orextended, and which will be practically non-destructible.

Other objects and advantages will be made apparent in the course of thefollowing detailed specification.

My invention and its operation is most clearly illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in perspective of myentire invention; Fig. 2 is a cross section of same, taken on the lineXX of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the construction of theoperating means, and the means for retaining the ladder extended. AndFig. 4 is a detail insideview of a portion of one side.

Similar reference characters refer to and denote like parts throughoutthe several views of the drawings.

For a complete exposition of my invention I will now take up thedescription of the invention in concrete detail and will refer to thevarious parts as briefly and compactly as I may.

Thetwo sides of the body of my ladder consists each of a pair ofstandards, denoted in the drawings by the numerals 1 and 2 on the right,and 3 and 4 on the left. Each of the standards, 1, 2, 3 and 4c, areformed preferably of metal, of the type commonly known as angle-iron,this being one of the essential points of this invention. The saidstandards are arranged in pairs parallel with each other, being spacedapart, substantially as shown,

1 and secured as will presently be made clear.

The numerals 5, 6, 7 and 8 denotes the steps of my ladder, same to bespaced an of the flanges should overlap each other and may be securedtogether by rivets or the.

The corners of the steps may also be like.

riveted to the standards preferably by riveting through said flanges.

In order to support the front edges of the steps I form tongues in'thefront standards 1 and 3 which tongues are cut U-shaped into the frontportion of said standards at points corresponding to the spacing of saidsteps. Said tonguesare bent slightly to the rear to receive the frontflange of the steps and they are denoted by the letters a, b, c and d inthe standard 1, and by the letters 6, f, g and h in the standard 3.

The sides of the ladder formed of said standards should be formed tostand at the desired angle to give the proper slope to the ladder, asshown in Fig. 1, and the steps are then positioned so as to lie'levelwith the floor line. The steps are positioned as shown allowing therespective tongues to engage the lower edge of the front flange of thesteps, as is clearly shown in Fig. 4, by which it is apparent that thefront edges of the steps are supported, and when the steps are broughtto the position indicated they should be secured by rivets or the likeas shown; the rivets passing through the flanges of the steps and thenthrough the standards. Each of the said steps are further supported, andrigidity obtained for the assembled parts, by a pair of angularlydisposed braces for each step, the same being denoted by the numerals 9and 10; 11 and 12; 13 and 14; and 15 and 16, respectively. The saidbraces are secured to the front flanges toward the center of the stepsand then extend back and downward where they are secured to the rearstandards of the main frame as is fully shown.

The numeral 17 denotes the platform of my ladder which platform ismounted on the upper ends of said standards, being so located as to belevel when the standards are at their maximum inclinationf Like thesteps the platform should be formed of sheet metal, with a marginalflange turned down at right angles to the bod, thereof. Secured to theinner faces of the end flanges of the platform LIA . rivets orotherwise.

are the two hangers 18 and 19, located on the right and leftrespectively. Fingers extend down from said hangers contacting with thesides of each of the standards, to which they are riveted or otherwisesecured, whereby the upper ends of the standards and the platform areall rigidly connected.

The lower ends of the standards 1 and 2 are connected by a shoe 20, andthe lower ends of the standards 3 and 4 are likewise connected by theshoe 21, said shoes are made somewhat rounding on their faces where theycontact with the floor whereby they act as rockers when the ladder isbeing opened and closed.

The numerals 22 and 23 denotes the legs of my ladder, said legs are alsoformed of angleiron as are the said standards. The upper ends of thelegs 22 and 23 are pivotally mounted to therespective hangers 18 and 19,as indicated, and they are of a somewhat less length than are thestandards.

Connecting the lower portions of the legs and spacing them the desireddistance apart is a bar 24, and near the center the legs are connectedby the angle-iron bar 25, said bars 24 and 25 being connected to thelegs by The frame formed by the legs are secured rigid by means of thetwo crossing braces 33 and 34 which are secured to the legs as shown,and they further brace the entire ladder when it is in position.

I now come to another novel feature of my invention which is the meansfor opening and closing the ladder and for looking it open when desired:Secured to the back of the standards 2 and 4, below the step 7, are thetwo eye pieces 26 and 27, respectively.

The numeral 28 denotes the spacer, formed of any desired shape in crosssection such as round, square or flat, having its ends pivotally mountedin the eye pieces 26 and 27, with its arms extending to the legs 22 and23 and its central portion adapted to rest in the angle of the bar 25,as shown in Fig. 1. The center portion of the spacer is at right anglesto and connects the two arms of the spacer, and the central portionthereof is bent forward forming a handle 2, as shown most clearlyin Fig.2.

The numeral 29 denotes a guide secured at its upper end on the inside ofthe leg 22 some distance above the bar 25 with its lower end secured tothe inside of the bar 25 in such manner as to allow the corner of thespacer 28 to rest in the angle of the bar 25 and to be guided thereby up.and down the leg 22; and in like manner the numeral 30 denotes a guidesecured at its upper end on the inside of the leg 23 some distance abovethe bar 25 with its lower end secured to the inside of the bar 25 insuch manner as to allow the corner of the spacer 28 to rest in the angleof the bar 25 and to be guided thereby up and down the leg 23.

The numerals 31 and 32 denotes the two rear guides secured at theirupper ends to the back of the respective legs 22 and 23 and then extenddown to the bar 25 where they are secured jointly with the lower ends ofthe guides 29 and 30.

In Fig. 1 the ladder is shown in its operative or extended position, thespacer lying horizontal with its free end resting in the angle of thebar 25. It will now be apparent that a person standing in front of andfacing the ladder may reach through between the steps 7 and 8 and graspthe handle 2 andg by pulling same upward and forward it will slide upthe' legs between said guides and thereby draw the legs of the ladder upto and parallel with the rear standards, by which the ladder will beclosed.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a step ladder formedprincipally of angle-irons which will be neat and attractive inappearance and otherwise accomplishing the objects previously set forth.

While I have described and shown the best means to me known at this timefor carrying out the objects of my invention in a practical manner, Idesire it to be fully understood that I do not restrict myself to theexact details of construction shown and described, but hold that anychanges or variations therein as would suggest themselves to theordinary mechanic would clearly fall Within the limits and scope of myinvention.

Having now fully shown and described my invention and its application,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. In a' step-ladder having two pairs of standards and a pair of movablelegs formed of angleiron, a plurality of sheet metal steps carriedbetween the pairs of standards, a down-turned flange formed around eachstep, braces connected near the forward edge of the center of each stepand to the rear standards, and tongues extending outwardly from the faceof the front standards and engaging the flanges of the steps, allsubstantially as shown and described.

2. In a step ladder having two pairs of standards and a pair of legsformed of angleirons, a plurality of steps formed of sheetmetal, eachstep having a flange turned at right angles to the body of the step andextending there-around, a pair of tongues for each step one of eachbeing formed in the front of each front standard, braces for supportingthe center of each step, and means for permanently connecting the endsof the steps to the standards, all substantially as shown and described.

3. A step ladder having in combination with the standards formed ofangle iron, a plurality of steps formed of sheet-metal and havingdownwardly turned flanges extending from each edge, tongues formed inthe faces of the front standards for engagement IIO with the flanges ofthe steps, means for permanently connectingthe steps to and between thepairs of standards, and a pair of braces connecting the forward centraledge of each step to the rear standards, all substantially as shown anddescribed.

4. In a step ladder, the combination with two pair of standards formedof angle iron, of a plurality of sheet metal steps, each having adownturned peripheral flange, means for securing the steps at the sideto the standards, and upturned lugs on the standards upon which thefront flange of the steps rest; substantially as described.

5. In a step ladder the combination with the two pairs. of standards, ofa plurality of sheet metal steps having downturned per1pheral flanges,tongues formed in the faces of the front standards in which the front 1ROBERT H. FETTA. Witnesses J. P. FULGHAM, M. C. HENLEY.

